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Dr. Victoria Keir with her grandfather, Dr. Hilt Tatum II, and her uncle, Dr. Hilt Tatum III. This photo was taken courtesy of Mrs. Scarlett Tatum at the Advanced Dental Implant Institute AAID Maxicourse in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Our newest associate, Dr. Victoria Keir, recently returned from her second session at the Advanced Dental Implant Institute in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She is attending the American Academy of Implant Dentistry MaxiCourse Program and Clinical Residency in Implant Dentistry for the 2016-2017 academic year while continuing to practice at the Watergate in Washington, DC. The program focuses on all surgical aspects of implant dentistry, from bone augmentation to tissue management to implant placement.

The director of the program, Dr. Hilt Tatum, is a world-renown pioneer of modern implant dentistry and was one of the first dentists in the world to bring bone grafting into the field. He is also credited as being the first dentist to perform the sinus lift procedure. Dr. Donald Kreuzer was mentored directly by Dr. Tatum while completing his hospital-based surgical implant residency in Florida. Dr. Tatum is still performing surgeries, innovating, and teaching—making this a truly invaluable experience for Dr. Keir. Even more special is the fact that she is Dr. Tatum’s granddaughter.

This training program will give Dr. Keir an immense and comprehensive knowledge base in implant dentistry. In addition, the program will give her the training necessary to obtain a license in IV sedation, making it possible for Dr. Keir to make her patients completely comfortable during surgical or otherwise stressful dental procedures. As a part of this program, Dr. Keir will be conducting research with Dr. Tatum and her classmates. The results of this research will be prepared not only for presentation at the AAID conference, but also for publication.

Dr. Keir is a recent graduate from Columbia University’s College of Dental Medicine. At the completion of her training with the Advanced Dental Implant Institute this year, she will be eligible for an Associate Fellowship from the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. Inspired by her grandfather, her ultimate goal is to become a contributor to the field of Oral Implantology. She is thrilled to be a member of the Watergate Dental Associates team, and looks forward to continuing her educational and professional journeys.